Man of mystery

Sporting News, The, August 9, 1999 by Paul Attner

Barry Sanders always has been a bouncing bundle of contradictions. so we should be careful about what we read into his departure from football (because it could really be just an extended leave of absence)

Somewhere in Europe. Barry Sanders has to be chuckling. He's smiling that shy, slight smile of his, where he sort of hangs his head and all but mumbles, "Aw, shucks," and he's marveling over how a simple decision to walk away from his playing career is causing so much commotion. And, in his own uniquely maverick manner, he's loving it.

Sanders likes nothing more than to be football's mysterious man of action, an independent thinker whose most predictable characteristics, on and off the field, is his upredictability. He does things that feel right to him, no matter the consequences to those around him. So whether it means reversing field on an end run or bolting to London on the eve of end run or bolting to London on the eve of training camp, he does it, without feeling much need to explain himself.

He wants us to remain puzzled by his actions. He wants us to read into his departure from football all types of motives and motivations. He knows that no athlete worth his superstar status exits from a career that still had years to grow and records to accumulate. Nothing about what he is doing seems right to us--and that alone gives Sanders every reason to take a different path.

Which means, ultimately, that path can just as well lead him back to football again.

For now, he needs to find out if he really wants to play again. That's what he says and we should believe him, because for all his quirks, Sanders has always been consistently honest about his intentions. But it would be just as foolish to rule out a resumption of his career.

For now, he isn't motivated by money--he would earn $3.375 million this season--although money has created constant friction between him and the Lions. For now, he isn't motivated by the pursuit of Walter Payton's career rushing record, although he'll admit breaking it would be extremely gratifying. There's also no evidence this is a ploy for a trade, although he hasn't always been pleased with the Lions' front office and coach Bobby Ross. He remains the most self-centered athlete we know, and his actions will hinge on what he feels will bring him the most satisfaction, not on what is best for the Lions or his family or pro football. If he misses being crunched by 330-pound defensive tackles, he'll be back, regardless of the cynicism that will greet his return. But if viewing the Mona Lisa up close and personal is what continues to stimulate him, forget about seeing more of his impossible-but-true runs.

He certainly left an opening wide enough for him to return. His public statements all have been diplomatic and measured. "My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it," he says. He hasn't criticized the Lions, hasn't bludgeoned Ross, hasn't demanded a new football home. Nothing. Just packed up and flew across the Atlantic, where a reporter found him in a London airport, wandering like a lost tourist. This seems more like an extended leave of absence than a retirement. There's also the matter of a bonus payback; if Sanders, a notorious tightwad, doesn't play, he will owe the Lions $7.3 million from an $11 million signing bonus he received two years ago.

So let's not write an ending quite yet to his marvelous career. Or be skeptical about his motivations to walk out now. He's not playing, the NFL will survive, the Lions will suffer and we will sorely miss the thrill of being entertained by this mighty mite of a soaring runner. Just as much, we will miss his grace trader extreme pressure, his sportsmanship, the way he Just as much, we will miss his grace trader extreme pressure, his sportsmanship, the way he conducted himself as a marvelous on-field role model in an era stained by boorish stars. He rarely did endorsements or commercials and worked diligently in the offseason to stay out of the public glare, yet his classy behavior combined to make him one of league's most popular players.

Still, we shouldn't become so consumed with praise about his plentiful talents that we forget he could have--and should have--handled his departure with much more grace and consideration. The Lions have paid him well for a job well done, and they didn't deserve to be treated with such utter disregard and thoughtlessness. If he wanted to quit, then he owed them notice weeks ago, not on the eve of training camp. Refusing to communicate with the team since the end of last season is unworthy behavior from a man of his intelligence.

Yet, that, too, is typical Sanders.

This is a man, remember, who is obsessed with moving in the shadows, who isn't comfortable with rules, who prides himself on being a team player yet has a history of holdouts that have harmed team unity. He is beyond complex; the contradictions of his behavior are both refreshing and preplexing. He keeps counsel with no one not even his ridiculously outspoken father. Remember, he is notorious among his friends for waking up in the morning, thinking Australia would be nice to visit and winding up on a plane that afternoon, on a journey Down Under, by himself.